Broken Time
Actions
This is always a difficult action to
explain to fencers. However, it can be explained quickly,
by listing the following points:
- An action which changes the cadence or
timing of the attack.
- An action which deliberately gives away
the right of attack, but in such a. way that the
opponent cannot take advantage of the action.
- An attack which takes an extra period of
fencing time.ie. an attack which is normally in two
periods of time takes three.
This action is very useful when used
against fencers who take very wide parries ie. it gets
them moving and the attacker must wait until they have
opened the line, then hit them in that line. The problem
in coaching this action is that all fencers have their
own broken time, sometimes the result of A flaw in their
make-up, or simply and action used through experience. A
good example of broken time is a double coupé:
- The first action of the coupé is
technically correct, thus gaining priority.
- The point is then retracted, the fencer
waits for the second parry and hits in the open
line.
The main point to remember is that the first feint must
get the opponent's defence moving, so that when the
action is held the opponent cannot make the
counter-attack. This is the main reason for fencers who
habitually use broken time being stop-hit; the first
action is poor and does not provoke the parry, but
instead provokes, a counterattack.
Other examples are:- a) Beat - straight
thrust - coupé. b) Double coupé and lunge low.
Development of the Lesson
- Coach the action technically.
- The action is used with a variety of
footwork.
- The action is used in a number of
different ways- as a riposte or as a counter
riposte.
- Used in counter-time i.e. the first
feint draws a counter-offensive action, then parry and
riposte. It is useful to end this action with a
prise-de-fer.
- Selection exercise and tactical
development.
- The coach teaches a simple action, to
be added when the opponent anticipates a broken time
attack.
Defence against Broken
Time
The defence against broken time is
always a difficult subject, but one that must be tackled.
The approach must be tactical, and the first way of
defeating broken time is to use one's eyes. The fencer
should observe which action is being used., from which
line the attack is coming and at what distance. If the
coach can train his fencer to use his eyes, they he might
be able to cut out the action by a change of timing or by
using distance. There are various ways of defeating
broken time-
- Remembering that broken time almost
always ends in the same line, the fencer notices this
and waits for the blade to arrive. Thus by anticipation
he parries the final action.
- The fencer alters his distance, then
counter-attacks on the first action.
- The fencer could use raised sixte -
this will deal with a high percentage of broken time
coupés.
- The coach could train the fencer to
take a late circular parry. This often stops broken
time, as fencers rarely do broken time with
doublés.
Fighting Lesson
Now, when the fencer is technically
competent, comes the main point in coaching - the
fighting lesson. First the coach must remember what he
is trying to do; that is to incorporate any new action
into the fencer's game, not as often happens to replace
one action with a new action. The coach is trying to
increase the knowledge and repertoire of the fencer, so
he should approach the lesson as a competitor and not so
much as a coach.
Development
- The lesson must be technically
correct.
- Variety of conditions. ie. cut-over as
an attack preceded by a pressure and step - in various
lines.
- The distance must be varied.
- The pupil must concentrate on waiting
for the correct time to launch his attack. He should
also know when not to do the action.
- Stroke selection. ie. blade high -
attack low, blade low attack high.
- The lesson should be to the standard of
the fencer.
- If the fencer makes a mistake then he
must be hit, or made to realise what can happen.
- The coach should move and thin} like a
fencer.
- When the fencer completes his action he
must be made to return to the on-guard position, ready
to launch another attack or to defend himself.
- The tactical use of the stroke must be
understood i.e. a straight thrust done with detachment,
with opposition, and with angulation from various
lines. The action can be used as a surprise action -
great emphasis on watching the opponent's blade. e.g.
From octave-thrust when the opponent's hand is high
with supination and pronation.
Close-quarter Fencing
Both coach and fencer must have
adequate protection. There are several points which
should be brought out when explaining close-quarter
fencing.
- Holding the blade.
- Domination
- Angulation.
- Opposition.
- If the fencer-goes high, coach goes low,
and the reverse.
- Three distances, coach steps in, coach
lunges in, coach flèches in.
The fencer is trained to
place the point on target and not-to panic and
jab, or jump back uncovered.
- The coach and fencer are engaged in
sixte. The coach should insist on the pupil dominating
his blade, then by use of angulation the pupil places
the hit on target. The pupil could also displace his
opponent's blade by use of forte to foible ie. by
sliding along the blade. The lesson was developed to
deal with the distances listed in f). The pupil should
practise placing the point on differrent parts of the
target. An action which is very useful, is a deliberate
step in when the opponent has lunged, in order to get
inside his point.
- The coach should introduce ceding and
opposition parries.
- At this stage seconde is introduced.
Also, the action of placing the hit on the back,
sometimes passing over the head to hit.
- Ensure that the pupil does not force
corps-a corps, when in close.
- Close-quarter fighting should now be
taught as a tactical action, where the fencer
deliberately tries to get in close to his opponent. The
fencer must also be coached in the rules regarding
close-quarter fighting.
Variable Parries
There are a number of different parries
which could be termed variable. In essence, they are
parries taken at different heights to surprise an
opponent, or to defeat an opponent by tactics.
i.e.
Counter-Sixte
- Counter-sixte is first taken
correctly.
- It is then taken by dropping the hand
to deal with a. low-line attack. This surprises an
opponent and leaves him very vunerable to a direct
riposte.
- It is now taken by lifting the blade at
the end of the parry, to either riposte over the blade,
or to guide the opponent's blade over the shoulder and
then to riposte low,
- The parry is taken with the blade
ending across the target and the hand high for a
riposte to the back.
- Using the variations listed above, the
stroke was developed into a time thrust.
Other examples- Septime and lifted
septime. Seconde and lifted seconde. Quarte, high and
low.
"Variable parries" can be developed
into a tactical or a fighting lesson.
